#SAFTUstrike Cyril is short-changing us – protestors

Some of the marchers hoisted up replicas of the buffalo, one of South Africa's big five animals, a snide indirect attack on Ramaphosa, a wealthy former businessman who once purchased a buffalo for R2 million.

Saftu members gathering near Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg, before embarking on a general strike and marching against R20 minimum wage. PHOTO: Siphelele Dludla/ANA

JOHANNESBURG – Hundreds of workers draped in red on Wednesday mocked President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing him of short changing South African workers.

The workers gathered in Newton, Johannesburg to heed a call by the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) for a nationwide strike against a proposed R20 per hour minimum wage.

Some of the marchers hoisted up replicas of the buffalo, one of South Africa’s big five animals, a snide indirect attack on Ramaphosa, a wealthy former businessman who once purchased a buffalo for R2 million.

Most of the workers were members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and other unions affiliated to Saftu.

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VIDEO: Striking workers rubbish the R20 per hour minimum wage proposed by the government through placards. Newton, Johannesburg. Getrude Makhafola

A few supporters of the militant opposition Economic Freedom Fighters also joined the crowd. The “red berets”, as they are popularly known, openly pledged their support to the Saftu march.

Saftu, a rival of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, has organised the nationwide strike in Johannesburg, Polokwane, Bloemfontein, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

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Memorandums are expected to handed over at various government departments and offices of provincial premiers.

The general strike comes as commuters grapple with a protracted bus drivers’ strike that has entered a second week.